ONCE one of Cornwall’s most famous tourist attractions, now Flambards Theme Park is no more and much of its extensive collection of historical items and memorabilia will be going under the hammer next month.

For almost 50 years, Flambards provided endless hours of fun and entertainment for visitors of all ages to their large-scale site on the edge of Helston.

However, rising costs and falling visitor numbers forced its closure in November last year and the auction of more than 1,500 items represents a rare opportunity for enthusiasts, collectors, and those with fond memories of the park to acquire a piece of its storied history.

A World War II period Willys MB military jeep is amongst the items being sold
A World War II period Willys MB military jeep is amongst the items being sold (Lay's Auctioneers)

The sale will feature a diverse range of artifacts spanning the park’s operational years, including vintage signage, themed decorations, as well as various historical exhibits that once populated the Victorian Village and Britain in the Blitz experiences, the War Galleries, plus all of the supporting historical displays, including the full size Concorde and Avro Shackleton cockpit.

For those that visited the site, it was easy to see why the Victorian Village was seen as its ‘jewel in its crown’. Like a time-capsule-within-a-time-capsule, it recreated an entire community of Victorian shops and businesses in incredible detail; a human sized dolls house in the form of a whole town.

Every nook and cranny meticulously curated by its visionary creator Audrey Hale, to contain exactly the products that shops sold, the clothes people wore, the food they ate and every other imaginable detail of everyday life in a small English town of the Victorian era. The creation of the Victorian Village was a remarkable achievement and no one who has visited it will ever forget it.

Likewise the Britain in the Blitz display recreated a crowded British pub, a bombed out street, shops and more. Equally unforgettable is the full-sized Concorde flight deck and cabin complete with aircrew, the Avro Shackleton cockpit and the many fascinating displays of wartime history full of heartrending stories and important and valuable artefacts.

The full-size cockpit of Concorde is one of the many items going under the hammer
The full-size cockpit of Concorde is one of the many items going under the hammer (Lay's Auctioneers)

David Lay, director and founder of Lay’s Auctioneers, has been on site with his team since December last year, cataloguing the thousands of extraordinary items that will be sold.

“The whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts,” he said. “To walk the streets of the Flambards Village is to be transported to a halcyon past, a past created by Audrey Hale using vast quantities of original material which is now so rare as to be akin to hens teeth.

“Whilst we have all been enriched by the experience of cataloguing this remarkable collection, it has been tinged with sadness that this incredible creation - a whole Victorian town, perfectly realised in full-scale, with every corner, shop, street and building absolutely historically correct, down to the most minute detail, must now be dispersed. However, that is the nature of things, and from this auction other collections will be improved, new collections will be formed. This collection will be an inspiration.”

The Victorian Village was a major part of the attractions at Flambards Theme Park
The Victorian Village was a major part of the attractions at Flambards Theme Park (Lay's Auctioneers)

For many locals and visitors alike, this auction marks a bittersweet conclusion to a cherished attraction that has been a cornerstone of regional tourism for generations.

Dates and viewing information

The contents of Flambards will remain in situ for public viewings at Flambards, Clodgey Lane, Helson, Cornwall, TR13 0QA, from Saturday, March 22 to Monday, March 24, 10am to 4pm. There is hourly, timed admission only. £10 per person and entrance tickets must be pre-purchased.

The auction will be held globally online and in Lay’s Penzance Salerooms (Lay’s Auctioneers, The Penzance Auction House, Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall TR18 4RE) from Tuesday, March 25 to Thursday, March 27, 10am start daily.

Collections will be by timed appointment from Flambards Theme Park.

During the the sale (where practically possible) and on Friday, March 28; Saturday, March 29; Monday, March 31; to Friday, April 4. There will also be collections and postage from Flambards for smaller/portable lots (excluding specified large or structural lots).

From Monday, April 7 to Friday, April 11, there will be the removal of specified large or structural lots.